Oriana Skylar Mastro | Journal of Strategic Studies
What factors do autocracies evaluate when responding to perceived threats? Oriana Skylar Mastro posits that autocratic leaders may choose greater exposure to an external threat if it preserves regime legitimacy. The desire to promote a positive image to one’s domestic public creates incentives to publicly downplay a rival’s military progress, which then affects the state’s ability to mobilize resources to respond to the growing threat.